S. J. Day’s action-packed Marked series continues with the release of Eve of Destruction (A Tor Urban Fantasy Mass Market Original, $6.99; On Sale June 2, 2009). Cursed with the Mark of Cain, formerly agnostic Evangeline Hollis must survive demons, celestial politics, and the rival attentions of Cain and Abel.

Drawing on her experiences as a Russian linguist in the U.S. Army Military Intelligence, Day has set the second novel in her series on a fictional closed military base on the Monterey Peninsula in California. “The Defense Language Institute is located in Monterey, and my family has a somewhat unique tie to it,” Day explains. “My father-in-law attended DLI to study Vietnamese for the Marines, I attended to study Russian for the Army, and my sister attended to study Arabic for the Air Force.”

The Marked series is urban fantasy, a rapidly expanding sub-genre of fantasy fiction where fantastical tales are set in recognizable milieus. Eve of Destruction resumes the adventures of Evangeline Hollis, a protagonist lauded by Publishers Weekly as “impressive” and “dynamic and vibrant.” Sent to a military base reminiscent of the former Fort Ord, Eve is part of a training group learning to stay alive while hunting demons. When members of her class are murdered one by one, the novice Eve must root out the killer before it’s too late.

Also continued in the latest volume of the popular series is the author’s exploration of Old Testament themes and tales. “With Cain and Abel as the antiheroes of my story, the research has been extensive,” Day says. “There are more questions than answers. The framework is set, but the possibilities are endless.”

Day will be making several appearances in support of the release, including signings and speaking engagements at Comic-Con in San Diego, California; the “Readers for Life” ProLiteracy Worldwide charity event held by Romance Writers of America in Washington, DC; and author Lora Leigh’s Readers Appreciation Weekend in Huntington, West Virginia.

Eve of Destruction was preceded by Eve of Darkness (May 09) and will be immediately followed by the release of Eve of Chaos (July 09).

S. J. Day’s resume includes a variety of odd jobs ranging from amusement park employee to Russian linguist/interrogator. She’s presently a full-time writer. A native Southern Californian, S. J. thinks there’s no place like home, but she loves to travel. Her adventures have taken her to Japan, Holland, Germany, France, Mexico, Jamaica, and all over the United States. She’s now hard at work on her next book. To find out more, visit her at www.SJDAY.net

About the Publisher:

Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, is a New York-based publisher of hardcover and softcover books, founded in 1980 and committed (although not limited) to SF and fantasy literature. Between an extensive hardcover and trade paperback line, the Orb backlist program, and a stronghold in mass-market paperback, Tor annually publishes what is arguably the largest and most diverse line of science fiction and fantasy ever produced by a single English-language publisher. Books from Tor have won every major award in the SF and fantasy fields and Tor has been named Best Publisher in the Locus Poll, the largest consumer poll in SF, for twenty consecutive years. For more information, visit www.Tor-Forge.com.